VIJAYAWADA: As many as 2,164 abusive posts and 45 social media accounts have been deleted this year as against 1,450 posts in 2022, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID) chief N Sanjay said on Wednesday.
Reiterating that no one will be spared for uploading defamatory posts on social media platforms, he said the department’s special cybercrime monitoring cell is focusing on the rising incidents of social media abuse against political leaders, functionaries of political parties, and women.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat, Sanjay pointed out that the APCID’s social media wing is equipped with the latest technology to identify the sources of fake social media accounts.
Stating that people who make derogatory posts operate their accounts under fake names, the officer warned those disrupting social harmony of stringent action. Asserting that everyone is equal before the law, he maintained that similar action would be taken against those uploading inappropriate posts targetting leaders of the Opposition party.
With regard to defamatory posts against the judges and judiciary system, Sanjay said, “Of the 26 accused in the case, we have identified 21 people and served notices on 19 of them. However, we are unable to trace the remaining five accounts.”
Elaborating on how the department is cracking down on social media abuse, the APCID chief said, “We have deleted offensive posts on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms with the help of intermediaries. The exercise will continue as the State will go for elections in another five months.”
Further, he said 2,972 cyberbully sheets were opened against various persons, including NRIs, for posting and targeting government and women leaders of both ruling and opposition parties.
“The CID sleuths identified 1,465 accounts on various platforms based on complaints received and through observation. Of the total, 202 accounts are harmful, while abusive posts are made from 31 accounts,” he explained.
Stating that 45 Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties and five Look Out Circulars were issued, he said two special teams are working in the US and UK to study the behavior of people with cyberbully sheets. “We have observed that these people are polluting the community with their posts,” he said
Special summit to create awareness
Sanjay also announced that a summit with social media influencers and intermediaries would be conducted in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam to promote accountability and a friendly environment on various social media platforms